Sonic Reducer

NOFXCoaster(Fat Wreck Chords)

A new NOFX record is always a pleasant surprise since it means the band is still kicking after 25 years of hard skating and boozing. If you're waiting for the band to transform itself into a totally different beast after a quarter of a century, you'll have to keep waiting. There are a couple of Chuck Berry-style riffs on "We Called It America" and some rockabilly undertones on "Blasphemy (The Victimless Crime)." Other than that, Coaster is nearly indistinguishable from the other 10 LPs that preceded it. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The band still goes hard and refuses to wussify. That should keep folks still on the NOFX train onboard. (SM)

When Australians aren't busy throwing boomerangs, fighting off dingoes and recording Outback commercials, they sometimes make really excellent music (see Mushroom Records). Australian Nathan Bickley made his way to Albuquerque almost four years ago and has since been involved in Smoke Rings and Small Flightless Birds. His independent project known as CanyonLands is now on its third release. Here, discord is created via crackling electronics and industrial-type beats. Mix that with a stencil and glued DIY aesthetic and you've got a cool, interesting and sonic experiment that New Mexico is lucky to be mother to. (JCC)